While nitrogen is vital for plant growth, excessive and inefficient use of this nutrient means up to 80% of it leaks into the environment, mostly in various polluting forms of nitrogen: ammonia and nitrogen oxides, which are harmful air pollutants; nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas; and nitrate, which affects water quality.
Nitrogen is present in animal excreta and synthetic fertilizers that are applied to land to boost crop production. Good agricultural practice and sustainable nitrogen management can go a long way in protecting ecosystems, biodiversity and human health from the adverse effects of nitrogen pollution.
In the context of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention), ammonia and nitrogen oxides are regulated by the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone. Provisions include setting up a national framework code for good agricultural practice to reduce ammonia emissions from agriculture.
In an effort to support Georgia with ratification and implementation of the Gothenburg Protocol and at the request of the country, UNECE organized a workshop to promote Georgia’s national Code of good agricultural practices, developed in line with the Convention’s Ammonia Framework Code (Tbilisi, 17-18 September 2024).
20 farmers, representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and national and international experts discussed good nitrogen management on farms, which requires knowledge, technology, experience, planning and monitoring. Presentations and discussions aimed at providing a better understanding of feeding strategies and technical options available for abatement of pollution in the context of low emission strategies in livestock and fertilizer use.
During the workshop, participants also had an opportunity to work on different scenarios and options for ammonia reductions in the agricultural sector, to share best practices and learn from each other. The two-day workshop concluded with a site visit, where practices on a cattle farm were showcased. The project was funded by Germany.